Coming from a single parent, low income household, I was the first person in my family to go to college. I graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Chemistry from Gonzaga Univeristy, and hold a Master of Science (M.S.) in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. While at Berkeley, I performed organometallic materials research in the lab of Don Tilley, exploring the synthesis of pentalene-based materials using palladium catalysts. I have also taught Chemistry at Skyline College in San Bruno, California, and at the University of California, Berkeley as the Director of the Digital Chemistry Project. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy gardening, cooking, homebrewing, hiking, riding my motorcycle, & discussing all of the cool chemistry in each of these hobbies.